Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Je parle une langue deuxieme ... peut être

Yesterday, in class, I had to deliver my first talk in French. I quite enjoyed trying to get the accent right, and to deliver in an interesting manner for my listeners. Here is what I wrote (and spoke):

Yesterday, also, I enrolled for the next term of lessons through the WEA in Bathurst Street. The lecturer is just superbe, and my fellow students, come and go, but the core group are stayers. This will be my 7th Term, meaning that I will have about 100 hours under my belt.

The next aim is to sus out a course in Paris for the northern autumn of 2012. I already have 5 possibilities from assorted peoples. I want something that is 3 or 4 weeks long, is either 3 or 4 hours each morning. I am not fussed about there being group activities in the afternoons. I am sufficiently resourceful that way myself. And besides, I will need the rest and the headspace.

8 comments:

I'm going to suggest something a bit different. Every year Arles holds a big photography exhibition - Les Rencontres D'Arles. Might be interesting looking at doing a course there (looks like a beautiful town and interesting area).

Yes, I was down that way in 2008 when I drove with two other friends. The hassle is that now I do not drive and it is becoming increasingly difficult to move long distances over time. It is a gorgeous area, and very close to Avignon which I adored, and to Aix which Kirsten adored. However, it is an 8 hour fast-train trip from Paris.

I am not able to plan to far in advance as I am not sure of my own ability at the time. But I will look around Paris for similar ... and cooking ...

Most of the first paragraph, although true, is a diversion to allow me to have enough said before those listening guessed, which they did guess just as I said she had been married for 13 years with three sons. Here in Australia we are in the middle of of a public policy battle about climate change and whether to put a price on carbon. There was an advertising campaign last week involving Cate Blanchett for which she was lambasted in no uncertain terms.

There are a couple of sentences in there which could describe you, however, my friend, especially "Je ne suis pas une hypocrite. Je fais comme je dis."Would have loved to hear you speaking. I'm still so proud of you for living in France for almost a month by yourself. Good on you!— K

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Candles

They are the last romantics, these candles;Upside down hearts of light tipping wax fingers,And the fingers, taken in by their own haloes,Grown milky, almost clear, like the bodies of saints.It is touching, the way they'll ignore

A whole family of prominent objectsSimply to plumb the deeps of an eyeIn its hollow of shadows, its fringe of reeds,And the owner past thirty, no beauty at all.Daylight would be more judicious,